{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983/section-77",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983/section-77.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1983/2",
  "legislation_title": "Representation of the People Act 1983",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983",
  "path": "section/77",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "77",
  "heading": "Expenses limit for joint candidates at local election.",
  "text": "(1) Where there are two or more joint candidates at a local government election other than an Authority election the maximum amount mentioned in section 76 above shall, for each of those joint candidates, be reduced by a quarter or, if there are more than two joint candidates, by one-third.\n(2) Where two or more candidates appoint the same election agent, or by themselves or any agent or agents—\n(a) employ or use the services of the same clerks or messengers at the election, or\n(b) hire or use the same committee rooms for the election, or\n(c) publish a joint address, circular or notice at the election,\nthose candidates shall for the purposes of this section be deemed to be joint candidates; but—\n(i) the employment and use of the same clerk, messenger or committee room, if accidental or casual, or of a trivial and unimportant character, shall not be deemed of itself to constitute persons joint candidates;\n(ii) nothing in this subsection shall prevent candidates from ceasing to be joint candidates.\n(3) Where—\n(a) any excess of expenses above the maximum allowed for one of two or more joint candidates has arisen owing to his having ceased to be a joint candidate, or to his having become a joint candidate after having begun to conduct his election as a separate candidate,\n(b) the change was made in good faith,\n(c) the excess is not more than under the circumstances is reasonable, and\n(d) the total election expenses of the candidate do not exceed the maximum amount allowed for a separate candidate,\nthe excess shall be deemed to have arisen from a reasonable cause for the purposes of section 167 below.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 17(1) substituted (29.1.2001 for certain purposes and 16.2.2001 otherwise) by 2000 c. 2, s. 8(a), Sch. 1 para. 10; S.I. 2001/116, art. 2(1)(2) (with art. 2(4))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 77(1) inserted (14.12.1999) by 1999 c. 29, s. 17, Sch. 3 para. 22 (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 1999/3376, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 77 applied with modifications (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/2250, regs. 2, 3, 5, Sch. 1 Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 77 applied (with modifications) (1.8.2001) by S.I. 2001/2599, art. 3, Sch. 1 (as substituted (10.2.2009) by S.I. 2009/256, arts. 1(2), 3, Sch. 1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "Ss. 73-90D restricted (W.) (4.12.2020) by The Local Government (Coronavirus) (Postponement of Elections) (Wales) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1399), regs. 2, 7(2) (with reg. 7(8))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/2/section/77",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-07T03:33:48.049414+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}